Japanese astronaut photographs Türkiye’s Feb. 6 disaster from space

Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, known for his record-breaking stay in space for over a year and his participation in NASA’s SpaceX Falcon 9 Crew 5 program, made a remarkable contribution to earthquake monitoring by capturing photographs of eastern Türkiye’s Kahramanmaraş region right after it was struck by devastating quakes on Feb. 6.

Wakata revealed that during his space expedition, he received an international emergency call immediately following the earthquake’s occurrence, requesting him to capture photographs of the affected area. Operating from a spacecraft hurtling through space at an astonishing speed of 28,000 kph, he promptly captured the images and transmitted them to NASA for analysis and assistance.

Notably, Koichi Wakata is no stranger to space history. He made history as the first Japanese astronaut to participate in the assembly of the International Space Station in 1996 as part of the STS-72 program, which aimed to capture a satellite in space and safely return it to Earth. This accomplished astronaut has now been honored by the Association of Space Explorers (ASE) for the 34th time, highlighting his exceptional contributions to space exploration.

Wakata’s visit to Bursa was not solely for the display of his earthquake photographs. He joined a gathering of 70 astronauts and cosmonauts from 19 countries at the Planetary Congress held in Uludağ. The event was hosted by the Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO) in collaboration with Türkiye’s first space and aviation-themed interactive training center, Gökmen Space Aviation Training Center (GUHEM) and Bursa Business School.

Expressing his admiration for Türkiye, Wakata shared his passion for photographing Istanbul from space. He disclosed: “The energy and beauty of Istanbul are so compelling that I couldn’t resist capturing it when I saw it from space. This marks my first visit to Türkiye, but I already love Istanbul very much.”

Koichi Wakata’s extraordinary achievements in space and his contributions to earthquake monitoring highlight the vital role of astronauts in providing valuable insights and assistance during times of crises on our planet.